Damaged at Best
by Corky the Quirk
Summary: You got inside my head / I tried my best to be guarded / I'm an open book instead...
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Read and enjoyyyy

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Newsies, or any newsie from the movie.

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**Prologue**

It was only fitting that the weather be so horrible on the day Bait Mayfair appeared. There was lightning streaking across the sky, followed by booming thunder, and although there was only a light sprinkling, the dark clouds above promised there'd be more to come.

Spot Conlon was not the newsboy to discover the beaten down, ragged girl on Brooklyn's doorstep. Rather, it was a younger boy, still possessing innocence and pity, who helped Bait into the main room, sitting her down at a table before searching out the leader.

Raising an eyebrow and hooking his thumbs on the belt loops of his pants, Spot took in the hunched over girl at his table. He nodded down at the younger boy in a way of dismissal, watching as he scampered out of the room and listening to the boy's footfalls as he ascended the stairs. Once positive there'd be no eavesdropping, Spot spoke. "Ya haven't got a cent," he accurately guessed, sighing and debating over what to do.

.

As Spot was mulling over his options, an overly determined leader in Queens was pacing in his room, hoping that his little birdie would be able to weasel her way into Brooklyn's tightly-knit sovereign.

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**Author's Note:** Thus concludes one of the shortest things ever...let me know if you're interested; this is a test to see whether I should continue to write DAB. Thanks!


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** So...it's been a while...heh...oops. Anyway, summer is here and I'm hoping it will allow me more time to write. Hopefully updates won't take so long!

**Disclaimer:** We all know this part...

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Bait sat atop one of the miscellaneous packing crates that dotted the docks Brooklyn newsies were so famous for populating, swinging her legs back and forth as she observed Brooklyn's working class youth enjoy diving into the river. The sun was out, and Bait was content with soaking in the sun and ignoring the chill breeze. Winter was on its way, and every member of the Brooklyn Lodging houses were trying to squeeze out as much fun from the good weather as they could. The newsboys and girls had mostly finished selling the afternoon edition of the _Eagle_ and were now enjoying the rest of the day either in the river or overlooking their fellow friends plunge into the water.

Fish and Guppy, two of the youngest news peddlers, continually back-flipped off the wooden planks, splashing older newsboys as they surfaced. Bait watched them carefully, what with being put in charge of Fish since the day she arrived from Queens.

As a girl, Bait wasn't even allowed inside the Newsboy Lodging House. Her first appearance had been an exception considering the beat up state she'd arrived in. Once she was on her feet again, Spot had directed one of his boys to show her where the girl's lodging was located in the city. Before even stepping inside Saint Camillus' Lodging for Young Girls, Fish had attached herself to Bait, and the matron—a Mrs. Danbury who adored the coincidental relationship between the newsgirls' nicknames—instructed Bait to watch over the rambunctious, water-loving youth.

Bait removed her cap, running a hand through her untamed bangs, shoving them out of her eyes and replacing the hat snuggly. Leaning back on her elbows, she glanced around, narrowing her eyes at a still figure in the distance. She raised an eyebrow and slowly sat up. She knew who it was. And she knew they were waiting for her.

Gulping, Bait took a deep breath, shifting her eyes around at the newsies that were crowded on the docks. She licked her lips before slipping from the crate and shoving her hands into the pockets of her long shorts, padding in the direction of the not-so-mysterious intruder in Brooklyn and hoping none of the boys or girls would notice her sudden exit. Stealing a glance over her shoulder, Bait cringed when she caught sight of Fish and Guppy, heads tilted in curiosity, watching as she took her leave. Bait playfully stuck her tongue out, assuring the two that she was fine, and began to trot a little faster. Content with the childish response they had been given, Fish and Guppy went back to tormenting the older boys lolling around.

With a sigh of relief, Bait hurried on her way until she reached her fellow Queens newsie, come to deliver a message. She nodded curtly in greeting, staring off at the docks. "Lunker," she muttered, finally meeting his eyes and raising her brows, propping her hand over her eyes to shield the bright afternoon sun.

The boy before her, although young in age, had grown quite rapidly and looked more like a man than a boy. His pants were too short and his shirt was unbuttoned because it couldn't span his large, barrel of a chest. The white tank he wore below was stretched tightly, and the brim of his navy newsboy cap was pulled low against his forehead. "Bait," he replied in the same tone of annoyance. He shoved one hand into his pocket, the other occupied with rolling a marble between his surprisingly thin fingers.

Bait tilted her head to the side, the sounds of newsies splashing into water and seagulls crying for food surrounding them. "I'm waiting," she informed him in a low voice, cautiously glancing around again, anxious for him to leave. "You must have come here to say something."

Lunker half-smiled. "Joy sent me," he responded, rolling back onto his heels and waiting for Bait's reaction.

She blinked, merely staring at him for a few moments before shaking her head. "And why would Joy send you?" she asked, recalling the awkward and overly happy newsgirl that everyone had pushed around in Queens.

Lunker shrugged. "Maybe because she's in charge now."

Bait slowly dragged her eyes from the cobblestone to meet Lunker's dark eyes. "She's what?" Bait snapped, feeling her fingers instinctively curl until her hands formed firm fists. "What about Duke?"

Lunker let out a snort of amusement. "Duke's been overthrown. Joy is apparently not as innocent as we all used to think. Actually, she's quite brutal when she wants to be. Gave Rusty a nice shiner once everything started to crumble."

Bait raised an eyebrow. "Things have been crumbling for a while. Get to the point."

"My point is," Lunker dragged out, "Joy is the new leader. Duke's close to death. And, I'd think about my priorities if I were you."

Bait gulped, holding his gaze before shrugging as well. "And?"

Furrowing his brows, Lunker shook his head. "Don't you get it? You don't have a purpose here anymore. Not now that Duke's gone."

Bait couldn't help but smirk. "Ah, but Duke isn't gone. He's just down at the moment."

Lunker rolled his eyes. "And Joy'll be down the next moment. I'm just going through the motions Bait, my friend. See, there's no way Joy can keep us all controlled. There's no way anybody in Queens can keep us controlled. We're greedy and stupid. The lot of us."

Bait pursed her lips. "Good thing I'm not part of Queens then."

Lunker grinned. "Not officially. At the moment. But I know you're still loyal, or you would have already ratted us out to Spotty."

Bait stepped forward. "Look here, Lunker. Until I get further orders from Duke himself, I'm a Brooklynite. Got it?"

"And I belong to Queens, so maybe we shouldn't even be talking, yeah?" Lunker suggested, knowing Bait would turn around soon. She was good at following commands.

Bait stared over at the newboys and girls that were messing around on the docks; swimming, playing cards, laughing. "Well what does Joy want?"

"I knew you'd start seeing sense, pet. She wants you to return to Queens, so she can formally talk to you and let you know what her course of action is going to be," he remarked, rolling his eyes. "But don't be surprised if there's a new leader in town and Joy is floating in the river by the time you get back. No one really likes her, and she's weak."

Bait furrowed her brows. "Why not just kick her out of Queens?"

A slow smile crossed Lunker's face. "Because like I said, Bait. We Queens boys are greedy. And there's no guarantee that someone is gone until they're gone. For good." The smile stayed on his face as he turned away from Bait, beginning to saunter in the direction of Queens, whistling an eerie tune.

Bait watched until he turned a corner, standing completely still until she realized she needed to breath. And when she did, she choked, coughing and trying to gulp in lung-fulls of air. Queens was worse off than she thought.


End file.
